Automatic water-cooling system



0. A. LABUS.

AuToMATlc WATER cooLlNG SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FIL'ED NUV. 3, 192|.

Patented.' July 18, 1922.

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ATTO R N EY OTTO LABUS, OF WISCONSN RAIDS, WISCONSIN.

AUTOMATIC WATER'COOLNG' SYSTEM'.

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Application filed November 3, 1921.

To" Q'ZZ 107mm t may concern.:

Be it known 'that I, @'r'ro A. Lanus, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Wis consin Rapids; in the county of l/Vood and State oflisconsin, have invented a new and useful Automatic VVater-Cooling System, of which the' following is a specification.

lThis invention has reference to automatic Water cooling systems, and while particularly adapted for dispensing soda water, or other beverages, may be usedr wherever it is desired to cool'or refrigerate ordinary water, or carbonated water, for drinking` purposes.

n` using the ordinary method of refrigerlating soda water, considerable trouble and 'annoyance is experienced, because the water passing through the refri'gerating coil often becomes frozen, resulting in the bursting of such coil. This usually occurs when the fountain ris idle, but during busy periods so much water is drawn through the coil that it doesnot become properly cooled, since no means have heretofore been provided for automatically lcontrolling the amount of cooling medium, which comes into Contact with the cooling coil, in. proportion to the amount of water drawn.

ln accordance with the invention, an eX- pansion tank is avoided, and the reduction in pressure in the supply pipe is caused solely by ther-'opening of the faucet from which the liquid to be dispensedv is drawn. Since the quantity of liquid usually drawn fr'onrthe faucet is small, a receiver or expansion tank would" have just the contrary effect to that desired, or would tend to maintain a constant pressure, instead of producing a material drop in pressure on the opening of the faucet.

.In laccordancr-i with the invention, the liquid to be cooled passesthrough the devicein heat exchanging rela-tion to the refrigerant employed and ultimately escapes from the outlet or faucet, such liquid being subf jected, in transit, to a suitabley refrigerant, such as kchilled brine, with the 'flow proportionalto the amount of reiirigerated liquid drawn, because of the pressure of a pressureresponsive controlling` valve automatically opening and closing 'to the passage of the refrigerating medium iiowing through. the feed. line.

The invention will'be best understood from a consideration ofthe following` detailed de- Specification of Letters Patent.

raten-redsun is, ieee,

Serial No. 512,560.

scription taken in. connection with the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, thatthe invention is not confined toany strict conformity with the showinp,` of the drawing, but may be changed and modified, so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims. l

ln the drawing rlhe hgure is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of an installation capable of operating in accordance with the invention. .Y

'Referring to the drawing, there is shown counter structure or enclosure il, such as is customarily employed. in connection with soda water, or other dispensing apparatus in stores. Hidden and protected by the counter l, is a heat-exchanging columnar form device 2, comprisingY concentric cylinders 3, i, or other apparatus, mounted ony a base or similar support, permitting a flow of u liquid between the cylinders in the intermediate space.

This liquidl may consist of brine coming from a refrigerating plant and dowing back to the latter, such brine being the medium usually employed for the' purpose, for' which reason' lthe refrigerating special description. y

Leading into the bottom of the cylinder 4, through thebase 5, is a water pipe r6, having plant, requires no,

a continuation 7. rising from the top of the cylinder el, and connected by an appropriate union 8 to` another pipe 9, which in turn is connected toand leads through an elbow l0, rising above the counter il, to an appropriate heiglit,rand there sustaining a faucet ll, of

any approved pattern, whereby water may be directed to thefaucet for dispe'using. lt isL quite customaryr to provide a `multiple structlire but this is not shown in the drawing.

llVithin the faucet ll, is a chamber l?, with which a pipe 13 of small diameter comnninicates and is designed to convey plain or carbonated water from the pipe 6 through the cylinder fl, and the pipey i3. The chainber l2 is connected. by another small pipe 14 to the casing of a diapharagm l5, of appropriate construction controlled by the pressure in the pipes 13 and 14, as affected by the opening and closing of the dispensing faucet 11. The diaphragm valve 15 is arranged in the path of the flow of brine from an inlet pipe 16, connected to the brine outlet of a refrigerating machine (not shown),

the pipe 16 leading to the space betvveen'the concentric cylinders 5 and 4, from Which the brine returns by Way of a pipe 17 to the refrigerating machine. rIhe diaphragm valve 15 has associated therewith an adjusting nut 18, so that the responsiveness of the valve to the pressure in the pipe 14, may be controlled and set at will. f

ln the Voutfit shown only a single coil or compartment is indicated for refrigerating the Water to be dispensed, but it is to be understoodthat the parts may be duplicated or multiplied in the customary manner, and either brine, or cracked ice and salt Water, or both, may be utilized as is customary, While various other arrangements are possible. p

Not only is it desirable and necessary to have cold Water at a soda-Water fountain, but it is essential to have the carbonated Water as cold as possible, in order that the Water to be carbonated becomes fully saturated or charged with carbonio acid gas, for the colder the vvater the more carbonio acid gas it absorbs.

Considerable trouble has been experienced With arrangements heretofore prol posed because the Water in the coil or other structure, Where the carbonio acid gas and Water are brought together, is liable to become frozen, resulting in the bursting of the water cooling coil. This usually occurs when the fountain is idle. On the other hand, so much Water is drawn through the coil during busy periods, that the Water is not lproperly cooled, because no provision has heretofore been made `for automatically controlling the amount of cooling-medium caused to come in contact with, or pass through, the cooling coil in proportion to the amount of Water drawn.

` The plain Water supplied to the apparatus is usually under city pressure, While the carbonated water may be under a pressure of about 50 to .75 pounds. Thisis the usual condition, and, therefore, Aon opening the faucet 11 a reduction in pressure in the Water supply occurs, which reduction is proportional to the distance from the orifice of the faucet, and this reduction in pressure, or any fluctuation of pressure, is immediately registered through the pipe or tube 14@ to the diaphragm valve l5. With the nut 18 suitably adjusted, the valve 15 will respond to any fluctuation in pressure, and the amount of brine and Water allowed to flow to the heat exchange device 2, is exactly proportional to the amount of Water drawn from the faucet 11.

The structure is such as to eliminate entirely any chance of freezing the Water and bursting 'the Water cooler structure. It is to be understood that while the device has been hereinbefore referred to entirely for Water cooling it is susceptible for use for regulating heating, and is adaptable to outlits already in existence, or those initially built, for one purpose or the other.

What is claimed is 1. In an automatic Water cooling system, a duct for refrigerants, another duct for water to be cooled and arranged in heat exchanging relation to the first-named duct, a faucet for the escape of Water from the second duct, and an automatic valve respon sive to variations in the Water pressure in the second duct, due to opening and closing of the faucet, and in turn included in and controlling the flow of the refrigerant to said first-named duct.

2. In an automatic Water cooling` system, a duct for refrigerant, another duct forl Water to be cooled and arranged interior to the first-named duct, means for causing .variations in pressure in the secondenamed duct, and a valve in the first-named duct respon sive to thevariations in pressure in the second named duct to control the flow through the first-named duct by said variations in pressure inthe second-named duct.

. 3. ln an automatic Water cooling system, for dispensing beverages,` and the like, a duct for a refrigerant, connections between said duct and a supply of refrigerant, a Water duct surrounding the first-named duct in heat exchanging relation thereto, a valve in the second-named duct for controlling the fiovv through said second-named duct `and thereby varying the pressure therein, and a controlling valve for the first-named duct responsive to variations in pressure therein, to in turn, control the flow of'refrigerating medium through the first-named duct.

4. In an automatic Water cooling system, concentric ducts, one having connections with a supply of refrigerant, and the other having connections for the flow of Water therethrough, a valve in the firstnamed duct, a faucet in the second-named duct whereby the flow of fluid and the pressure thereof in thefsecond-named duct may be controlled, and a valve in the first-named duct having controlling connections to the second-named duct for in turn controlling the` flow of fluid through the first-named duct in accordance with the pressure therein established. Y

5. In an automatic Water cooling system,

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a heat exchange device consisting of associi the diaphragm valve in accordance With the frgerant through said heat exchange depressure n the Water duct and a faucet n Vice. the water duct-having means whereby the In testimony that I claim the forego- 10 faucet may be opened or closed to correing as my own, I have hereto aHXed my 5 spondngly vary the pressure in the Water signature.

duct and thus affect the diaphragm valve to correspondingly control the flow of re- OTTO A. LABUS." 

